Abdul Breaks Christina Down (Christina & Abdul)

“Alhamdulliah, Tina,” or, as his fiancée would say, “Praise be to God, Abz,”

Because, while Abdul is of Islam, Christina is of Christianity.

Conversely, she has grown fond of hijabs and abayas the colour of onyx,

Dressed in khimar as she travels Aswan to meet her father-in-law.

Expecting mother-in-law's greeting, not mother-in-laws'. Fiancée: “Luv?”

Fiancé: “To 'As-Salaam-Alaikum,' you say, 'Wa-Alaikum-Salaam' in lieu.”

Greeting them, but that was not her question; in private is when she asks it.

“Habibi, it is permissible in Sharia for men to have multiple wives.

It is permissible, but the inverse--polyandry—is not,” - “That's unfair!”

Jezebel, wife of Ahab... Abdullah Y. Ali advises divorce: talaq, talaq, talaq!

Keeping the terms and conditions of monogamy in their pre-nup,

Ladies with Muslim suitors marry peacefully whereas they did not hitherto.

Making their bed, she finds, behind it, panties that are not her own.

"No," she whispers. She will, when he is back from the office, confront him!

Only, she, for hours, dwells on those panties, red batiste... a size small.

Picking up a dustpan and brush to lose herself in housework,

Questions of cheating running circles in her head like pilgrims of Hajj,

Running like headless chickens whose slit throats spurt blood like confetti.

She breathes in and out because she forgot she must breathe..."Ah!”

Toiling in the kitchen and pitting the dates for breaking fast come evening,

Unloading the washing of crisp white shirts that have been starched stiff,

Venturing to hang-dry his thobes for tomorrow's prayers at Mosque,

Where he will sit in salah and pray to Allah, with his brothers, for his jihad.

'Xx' suffix her WhatsApp messages so he will not suspect: A seething stoic.

Yet, upon hearing the jangling of his keys, clicking of the doorknob.

Zipping of his cashmere overcoat... she simply smiles and asks, "Cuppa?"

(Spoiler: This is an Abecedarian poem and, while the first letter of

every stanza reads from A-Z, the last letter of every stanza reads

from Z-A.)

(In order for the poem to read properly on the website, I shortened it. Here

is a screenshot of the full version: https://prnt.sc/_3j-h4bpkDFK)